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Name is Fanta Awe, and I've been at AU since I did my studies here in 1987, graduated in 1990. Um, and then also came back for graduate school in 92.

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Um, and I've been also working at American University since 1992 until March of 2023. So and so before that. Why did you come today?

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What was it that brought you AU? Um, my story of coming to AU, I think will resonate with many. Um, I actually didn't know about American University, and I had lived in Maryland, in Bethesda, to

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be precise, and I would always go and hang out at the Friendship Heights area, but I had never heard of American University. And as I was looking at schools, I was looking for a school that would have a real campus.

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Um, also a place that was small enough but not too small, and I wanted an environment that was going to be quite diverse and also quite international. And a very dear friend of mine who was at Georgetown University, told

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me about American University and let me know that her sister had gone to American University and loved it. And because I knew her family very well and trusted them a lot, I thought to myself, you know what? I should give it a try.

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And so I applied because I knew I didn't want to go to Georgetown. I knew I didn't want to go to GW, and I didn't. And Maryland was going to be too big. And so I applied sight unseen, with very little information

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except this friend, family friend who had gone and applied and got admitted. And it was January of 1987, and therefore my journey started at American University.

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And as soon as I stepped foot on campus in January, it's hard to describe, but something told me that I was at the right place. So thinking about that. And then fast forward a little

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bit. How would you describe your fondest memories in your time here and why? I would describe my fondest memories would be memories about

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friendships that I made here. Um, American University really became a home for me because of the people that I met along the way, and the incredible friendship and family that I would say I made

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here at American University. Um, my, my fondest memories were hanging out at the Davenport Lounge, talking about politics, world affairs.

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It was going to fashion shows about culture. It was coming together in sisterhood with several of the African American students.

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Um, and we would have exchanges about the black diaspora. Those were some of my fondest memories of American University. And then I would say the faculty, um, really was a blessed to have faculty who cared about who who cared about me, cared about my

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work, cared about my success, and were on the journey with me. And one administrator in particular who really became my mentor and sponsor, Gary Wright, who really made my experience at AU very unique.

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So on that foundation, now, I can ask you to think about some of the most difficult times. What were some of your most difficult challenges during your time here at AU, and why? Some of the difficult challenges.

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During my time when I was a student, I would say were sometimes there were some racial tensions while I was here as a student. Um, there were there was also, I

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think, not an understanding of the world as a whole. I had expected people to be much more, um, worldly, perhaps. And I found that in the process that there was a lot of education that was needed.

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Um, I would put much of the lack of education and the lack of awareness on lack of knowledge. I didn't see people who were really, you know, mean spirited. That was not my experience of mean spirited people.

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But I would say that there were certainly some things around, ignorance in particular. Um, that was when those were some of my time when I was a student, when I was a staff member, it was

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a very different story. The most painful one that came to mind was 911. I happened to be here on 911, and

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I saw the campus on 911, and the days after and the months after, um, the pandemic was another one of those moments. Um, and then the racial incidents were other moments that I lived while I was lived, um, you know, an experience while I was here at

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AU that were deeply, deeply painful. They were painful because I could see the impact that it was having on our community. Um, and I knew that the world had

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changed and that with the world changing, we too would have to change. Um, and so those were some of the painful times that I can remember.

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And just acknowledge the importance of change. And we all know that you have your individual change maker legacy.

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My question to you here is if you would discuss the specific role that AU has played in the creation of your individual American legacy. AU has played an instrumental role in, um, my individual story around

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Change Maker. Um, AU made me believe that anything would be possible and that if I applied myself enough, and if I was willing to do the hard work of both self-reflection,

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learning, and being willing to be a contributor to society, that it would be possible. And for that, I'm incredibly grateful.

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Um, because I was able to really have some great experiential learning here, and that became sort of what I call a training ground for me, um, to learn about how to get things done, how to mobilize, how to get things done,

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and how to leverage all the resources that were available to me. I understood that coming to a place like American University, in a city like Washington, D.C., in a

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nation like the United States, that I really, um, came with privilege and that that was something that was not afforded to all. And so I saw it as my

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responsibility to make not only the most of it, but to do what I could in small ways to live, to leave a footprint and a legacy. So given the way that your Changemaker legacy has evolved and a place in that, and given the way that you've moved through your

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challenges and even the fond memories. Um, when you think about now the students that you can talk with, and now that you're an alumnus in a unique way, the question is, um, what would you want students to know learn from?

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What is it that you want fellow alumni to learn from? I would like them to learn that history matters. Know your history and be very proud of your history. And that includes the history of American University.

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There are generations that have come before us, and in coming before us have paved the way. And it is because of them and because of what they have done that we are able to reap the

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benefit of that. And so what I would like students today to know is know your history and know the legacy that has been left and understand that you too, therefore have a social

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responsibility to pay it forward. That's the first lesson that I would like students to know and to remember. The second is don't let anyone define you.

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You belong here. You have made your way here. You have earned your place here. And believe in that and believe in

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yourself and believe in the power of community. Make sure you find community wherever you can get it, but also know that you are responsible for creating community. And so that's the second thing that I would like for students to

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remember. And then the third thing that I would like for students to remember is dream big. Dream big.

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Don't limit your dreams because it is very much possible. It is possible if you know how to lean on others.

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It's possible if you know when to ask for help. It is possible when you are in community and off community and so dream big.

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Do not limit your dreams. So you have led into this next question. I'm going to ask you to

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specifically respond to it this way. In one sentence or so, would you describe why you think AU has produced so many change makers in every walk of life? I would describe in one word legacy.

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It is the legacy and the fact that doors open because of that legacy. That is why I think AU has done that. And is there anything else that we haven't discussed that you would like us to have? Would like us to add to your

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responses? Uh, the only thing I would add is that we're having this conversation in 2023 where you look at the nation, and the nation is in a very different place than it was years ago.

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Um, and also in a world that is in a very different place than it was years ago. Um, and so as I think about the generation today and what they have ahead of them, um, my message to them is you need to have hope.

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Um, there is a real need for more hope today than ever. Um, and so that is one of the messages that I have for them. And also the other message is for those of us who've come before, uh, we have hope in them.

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In this. Case. If you wanted to add them, you know.

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The only other thing I would add is that, you know, I've had the great fortune of working at American University for over 34 years. So I've come to really know the campus in lots of different ways.

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Um, so having had the opportunity to have been a student, to have been an administrator here, to have been a faculty member and to be a proud alum of American University, this is a place that has given me a lot.

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Um, and it is a place that I know I would come back to again and again. Um, because of what I have gotten from American University, and it is my hope that I've left a little bit as well.